He Loves Her, He Loves Me Not
by broken-is-beautiful
Summary: As Haji grows more intimate with another woman other than Saya, she begins to question her romance with Solomon. SxS or SxH or... neither? Read to find out!
1. Chapter 1

**He Loves Her, He Loves Me Not**

_Chapter 1_

Okinawa was still upbeat with the glaring midday sun, despite the passing of three decades which the stoic Chevalier spent in an inescapable state of melancholy. His Queen awoke without paying heed to the affection his eyes portrayed – perchance, an emotion that had died not long after.

Solomon.

How he loathed that man, with his flawless face and silken blond tresses, the charming perfect smile. However, he was not a man whom he wished to dispute with any longer. Solomon lived. Solomon did no wrong. Solomon won Saya.

Haji was seated upon the stage at a local restaurant, his eyes plastered to the angelic face of his Queen, her luscious pink lips fixated into the most genuine of smiles – a smile he could never give her. His fingers nearly bled while he strummed the cello strings with such intensity and abhorrence. When the surprisingly harmonious song ended, he gently set aside his most prized possession. The audience erupted in a standing ovation, but soon settled to return to their dinner.

"Excuse me," a beautiful female voice began softly.

His azure eyes flickered up to meet sight with endearing hazels. Her porcelain skinned face was, dare he say, more striking than Saya's, though he was not a man merely interested in looks. Her full scarlet lips were stretched into a timid, heart-throbbing smile and her hair cascaded to her shoulders in velvety russet curls. He'd almost forgotten how to speak.

"May I help you, Miss?" he politely inquired, standing up to surprisingly find her of almost equal height. She was no teenager.

"Yes, actually," she began sincerely, running her fingers along the polished surface of his instrument. "This is truly such a beautiful instrument."

Haji inaudibly nodded in agreement, never losing focus on her tender gaze.

"Do you mind… if I play it?" she asked.

The Chevalier glanced over at his Queen to find her more concerned with the man on her arm. Immediately after, he asserted it his decision. It was his instrument now, after all.

"You can play my piano if you're looking for a fair trade," she laughed kindly, noticing his hesitation. Even her laugh could break a man's heart.

"That is not necessary." He returned a small smile, gingerly passing the cello over by its neck.

"If you're positive," she agreed, seating herself in his chair. "But, I'd really appreciate it if you could assist me."

She propped the instrument against a slender shoulder, positioning her fingers like an amateur. He stood behind her, adjusting her posture and arrangement into that of a professional's while she was moderately inquisitive of his bandaged appendage.

"Thanks," she spoke, her cheeks flushing a rosy tint. After gracefully running the bow across the strings, Haji determined she was not at all familiar with the large instrument in her lean arms.

"Have you never played before?" he queried, guiding her delicate hands along the refined body of his instrument. Nostalgia briefly embraced him for a moment, recognizing the pose from his last voyage on the Siberian Express.

The woman shook her head. "I was interested in playing it for so long, however."

"I see," he quietly acknowledged, continuing his ministrations.

"Do you give lessons, by any chance?"

He shook his head.

Mildly surprised, she complimented, "Really? You'd make an excellent teacher, though…" She trailed off looking for a name to fit to his face.

"Haji."

She gratefully smiled, offering her own name in return, "Adèle."

***

"Looks like Haji isn't going home alone, tonight," Kai chortled suggestively, elbowing Lewis in the ribs.

"You can say dat again," the former Red Shield member heartily laughed.

Saya turned to witness the scene before her unfolding. Her most beloved friend was instructing an unbelievably gorgeous woman with the gentlest of eyes. What frightened the Queen the most was their unfathomable chemistry.

She uneasily tightened her grip around Solomon's forearm.

He instantly noticed, "Is something troubling you, my love?"

"I'm… just a little bit tired, that's all."

_I think_, came her afterthought.

Courteous as always, Haji escorted Adèle to the door of the restaurant, parting from her more or less reluctantly. He then returned to his table of friends with his cello case secured to his back.

"Wonderful performance, Haji," Solomon commented honestly, stroking Saya's raven hair.

"Yeah, Uncle Haji! That was just… breathtaking!" the more energetic of the twins, Aoi, piped, her blue eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. Her shy maroon eyed twin, Akane, nodded in unison. "Don't you think so too, Aunt Saya?"

Evidently distracted, she replied, "Hmm? Oh yes, of course."

_You were always breathtaking, Haji._

_--_

_A/N: Don't flame me you crazy pairing fans D:_

_Hope you enjoyed this first chapter!  
_


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

Haji sat before the counter in Omoro with Kai, despite being a middle aged man, energetically meandering about his family's diner in preparation for its daily opening. Saya made her entrance known as she was in a fit of giggles trotting down the steps, Solomon close behind, a more subtle chuckle rumbling from his revealed chest. The Queen fastened the buttons of his shirt, tugging his collar forward and planting a feverish kiss upon his lips.

"Mmm," she contently hummed and twirled on her heels to face her adoptive brother. "What's for breakfast, Kai?"

"Whatever you want," he offered, wiping down the counter with a washcloth. "The girls and I already ate before they left for work, so you'll be eating alone."

"Boiled eggs, then, if you don't mind," she asked, grinning broadly.

"I had a feeling," he remarked knowingly, vanishing into the kitchen.

Lewis emerged with Kai when he returned with his sibling's meal minutes later. Thanking him, she sat on a stool next to Solomon, and began to feed him small portions of her breakfast.

"Hey, Haji, where'ya going?" Kai queried, eyeing the silent man and his cello case at the door.

"I have a lesson to give," he informed him, tucking a folder of music under an arm.

"A _date _you mean," the auburn haired man corrected him with a sly smirk. "Like everyday this week."

Lewis cheered, "Way ta go, mon!"

"A music shop is hardly a place for that," Saya inputted, almost bitterly. "Honestly, you guys are so immature."

"Saya, I'm sure he is aware that they were merely joking with him," Solomon assured her, resting a consoling hand on her knee. "Isn't that right, Haji?"

"It is a subject I'd rather not address," he admitted, his tone polite, calmly leaving Omoro with the necessary belongings.

"That guy is seriously going to kill me with the suspense!" Kai admitted. "Oh, and Saya, I hope you realize that he teaches her in her apartment, not at the music shop. That's what an instructor typically does, after all."

The Queen hissed under her breath, presumably at her brother's logical remark, and stormed up the steps, fists irritably clenched.

"Saya!" Solomon called after her, jogging up the steps.

He rounded the corner in the hall and entered an inviting pink room, neighboring his own. On her bed, she sat in silence, her maroon eyes hazy as she gazed off into space with her slender arms hugging her knees to her chest. The blond chevalier exhaled sharply, the bed dipping low as he settled next to her.

"Saya," he murmured soothingly. "What troubles you my Queen?"

She refused to respond.

He sighed again, allowing his fingers to trail along her creamy complexion in a gentle caress. "Why do Haji's affairs concern you?"

"It doesn't," she snapped, her words muffled by her face buried in her knees.

_How dare he let her play my cello? He didn't even tell me where he was going every morning! He just left! _Saya fumed.

"I was hoping that was the reason, considering my second assumption is jealousy," he concluded, slightly miffed.

"No!" The Queen threw her head up from her knees and denied. She calmed for a moment, lowering her tone. "I'm just… I mean… This woman knows nothing about him. She doesn't know what he truly is. I doubt she's ever seen what's under his bandages. Solomon, how will she come to accept him, his flaws and all? A human will never understand and love every part of him. I'm the only one who–"

She cut herself short, registering beforehand where her sentence was treacherously leading to.

"You should not judge her solely on a stereotype. Perhaps, you can accurately predict whether she would accept his flaws or not if you spend time with her," he suggested, tenderly stroking her cheek. "We can speak to him if it turns out she is not capable."

"O…Okay," she agreed, tentative. "But, how do we go about doing that? She doesn't even know who I am."

"I may have an idea in mind."

***

Basking in the late afternoon warmth, Adèle elegantly strolled alongside Haji down the length of the sidewalk, both of them leaving a minimum amount of comfort space between their two graceful figures. The Okinawan pedestrians gawked at the attractive, yet unlikely sight of an impeccably handsome man and an unbelievably beautiful woman, an alleged couple that was too, perfect.

Saya and Solomon were amongst those pedestrians, the maroon eyed girl awe-struck by the improbable scene, motionless. The man on her arm led his frozen love towards the two instrumentalists.

"Hello there, Haji," Solomon greeted, charming as always. He turned to the woman. "You must be Adèle. It's a pleasure meeting you. I'm Solomon, and this is Saya. We're both good friends of his."

"Likewise, Solomon, Saya," she addressed them just as charismatic as he.

"Uhm… Where are you guys heading?" Saya nervously inquired, attempting to maintain a casual attitude as instructed by Solomon.

"We were just getting something to eat. Would you like to join us?" Adèle offered. Quickly, she corrected herself, "I mean, if you don't mind, Haji."

"Not at all," he conceded graciously, somewhat reluctant to invite them, nevertheless.

"Well, we thank you for the offer, but Saya promised her nieces we would eat with her family tonight. Maybe you could consider joining us instead?" Solomon negotiated while slyly manipulating the conversation in his and Saya's own favor.

"If you're sure it's alright. I wouldn't want to be interfering," she confessed.

"Of course not," he assured her with his persuasive smile. "I believe we would rather enjoy your company. Wouldn't you agree, Saya?"

The raven haired girl stammered, "Y-Yes, absolutely."

--

A/N: Thank you for the encouraging reviews :) And here I was thinking I was going to be lit on fire.

I'll apologize in advance for my tendency to drag out suspense and concealing answers until a later time in a plot ;D


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3_

The Chevalier, though somewhat baffled by Solomon's thoughtful notion, proceeded to Omoro shortly after Adèle's invite from the blond to join them. Adèle, mildly tense, fell into her cello tutor's unruffled pace as they made their way towards the diner.

Fortunately for Haji, the majority of Kai's typical dinner attendees were not present, excluding him, Lewis, the twins, and of course Saya and Solomon. He wanted to keep the awkwardness to a minimum which proved to be difficult considering his Queen was breathing the same thick air as he.

The respective time for small talk before dinner was rather concise and they found themselves seated around a broad table. The questions they asked their guest were subtle to an extent; most probable, they were as uncomfortable as she.

Saya conducted her own thorough examination of Adèle, nitpicking her every action and sentence. But – it wasn't Adèle who caught her off-guard.

She watched as Haji smiled warmly at the blushing French woman, his pale hand tucking stray tendrils of brunette hair behind her ear. A tremor of discomfort and misery rattled Saya's entire body.

_He only does that for me…_

A sudden stinging sensation felt about her eyelids, she was on the brink of tears. But prior to anyone catching sight of the first teardrop, she excused herself from the table. _Get a grip_, she scolded herself. _Why are you crying?_

With heavy lingering emotions still pressuring her chest, the Queen waited out several minutes. Before she could return, with her keen hearing, she began to eavesdrop.

"I should get going now. Thank you for the wonderful dinner, Kai, and for allowing me to eat here," she thanked benevolently.

"Not a problem. Stop by any time. The door is always open for you," Saya's sibling offered.

The voices faded to the drone of murmurs until they seemed to crescendo to the volume of a perfect clarity. Though, their direction seemed to have changed to an area more distant – outside perchance. She stepped over to the wall of her bedroom, peering over the birch wood windowpane into the dim shadows of dusk. A figure she instantly recognized as Haji's stood outside under the incandescent spotlight of an Okinawan streetlight, a barely short form, kept an intimate gap.

Saya strained to listen again.

"Thank you for the offer. I think I'll be alright, though," Adèle assured the Chevalier.

The maroon eyed girl watched her knight's characteristically stoic countenance express disappointment. She felt her own facade mirror his reversely.

Dwelling in her musings, Saya missed an excerpt of the conversation, but returned to her prying near its end.

"You're so sweet, Haji," Adèle admitted candidly. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Nodding, he closed the small space between them, their bodies melding together in the poor lighting. However, the lighting was not successful in wholly obscuring Saya's vision to the point where she was still able to make out each individual. Enviously, her eyes registered their affectionate embrace and her lips against the pale flesh of his high cheekbone.

The woman exchanged a "good night" with him, departing from the Chevalier, the spotlight now solely focused on him, a lone figure in the night.

Like he had always been.

Saya scurried away from the window and sank into her mattress, predicting Haji's entrance into her room like he would every night. Minutes later, her quieter-than-usual friend stepped into her room, seating himself on the chair in the far corner to the right of her bed.

"Are you feeling alright, Saya?" he asked her, referring to her need to excuse herself at dinner.

"Yeah, I'm okay now," she lied, fiddling with the folds of her clothing. "We um… haven't talked in a long time."

"We have not," he confirmed.

"Haji… I-I wanted to ask you about something. About Adèle." His azure orbs flickered up to meet her scarlet-chocolates. "Does she know about, um…?" Her eyes wandered down to his bandaged feature.

"No."

"Don't you think she should know? I mean, before your relationship gets serious,"

His eyes widened to a degree. "Saya, I do not–"

"Saya, you didn't finish your dinner," Solomon reminded her, leaning on the doorframe.

She sighed, "Oh, right."

When she waltzed over to him, she met her love's lips in a kiss. Haji grimaced ever so slightly, his eyes adverting to the floorboards.

"I'll be down in a minute." With that said, Solomon left the two alone. She turned to her Chevalier. "What were you saying, Haji?"

Leaving her and refusing to make any eye contact, he dismissively responded, "Disregard my last sentence."

--

A/N: Feel the pain, Sayaaa. Feeeel the painnnnn 8D

*Ahem* Thank you for all of the reviews, once again. I'll try to make the next chapter more exciting.


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